Today marks the 49th anniversary of the passage of a monumental law which forever changed our democracy. While some argue that the issues addressed by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were long ago resolved, for the communities of South Florida, the law still plays a prominent role in our lives.

For nearly half a century the Voting Rights Act has stood as a central pillar in the protection of fair voting practices. Our nation now faces the greatest threat to voting rights since Reconstruction.

A cornerstone of the civil rights movement, the Voting Rights Act ensures that every American citizen, regardless of race or language, has equal access to the vote. That is until last June, when the U.S. Supreme Court gutted a key part of the act, leading to a full-frontal attack on the voting rights of all Americans.

From voter suppression laws being passed in the light of day in state houses around the country and the political assault on women's reproductive rights to the racial wealth gap, there are disturbing signs that our nation's baby steps towards political, social and economic inclusion could be stalling.

The historic participation of blacks and other minorities helped elect the first black president of the United States. But while we greatly exercised our right to vote in 2008, many failed to do the same two years later during the 2010 midterms. What we got were a slew of politicians who are more concerned with their own self-aggrandizement than with serving people.

Immediately after North Carolina passed the worst voter-suppression law in the country, Advancement Project brought a suit in federal court challenging the law on behalf of the North Carolina NAACP. In light of the avalanche of provisions designed to restrict voting, we had to fight back.

We constantly hear politicians tell us that it is time for your generation to take ownership in the political process. Of course, in order for new voices to be heard at the policymaking table, Millennials must turn out to vote in higher numbers and engage more with our elected officials.

In 1964, Mississippi was a place of terror, where local white citizens carried out brutal retaliation against blacks who believed they had the right to be first-class citizens. More than 1,000 people were arrested that summer.

Progressives can surely add to this list of issues that a Supreme Court with a liberal majority should address. Unfortunately, presidential candidates won't directly address these issues or the views of candidates they would appoint to the Supreme Court when vacancies arise

Voter disenfranchisement does not only occur in states with a history of discrimination. The 2012 elections saw the attempt to disenfranchise voters taken to a whole new level -- with voter ID laws, cutting off early voting in certain areas, end to same-day registration and measures making it harder to register large groups of voters.

Twenty-two states have passed new voting-restriction laws, and advocates are fighting back in court. We must continue to support free and fair voting for all Americans, and to honor the civil rights pioneers who came before us.

Here is a novel idea: Instead of looking for ways to keep people from voting, we should be looking for ways to break down barriers for all people to fully participate in our democracy. Voting is a fundamental right given to us by the Constitution, a right that must not be abridged.